A blocked toilet, overflowing drain, sewage problem or burst water main rarely happens at a convenient time. When something goes wrong late at night, at the weekend or on a bank holiday, finding an emergency drainage company that can actually respond becomes the priority.
Many drainage companies advertise a 24-hour service. But what should you reasonably expect when you make that call?
A genuine 24-hour emergency drain and sewer service should mean more than simply being able to leave a message outside normal working hours. You need knowledgeable support, a clear indication of when help can arrive and an experienced engineer equipped to deal with the problem properly.
Someone knowledgeable should answer your call 
The first stage of any emergency response is understanding what has happened.
Is it a single blocked toilet or are several drains affected? Is sewage overflowing? Is water entering the property? Could there be a problem with a pump station or water main?
The person taking the call should be able to ask the right questions, establish how urgent the situation is and determine what type of response may be required.
At Drain & Sewer Services, our 24-hour emergency service is operated on a rota by managers from our in-house technical support team. This means customers can speak to someone with the knowledge to understand the problem and provide an accurate indication of response times.
24-hour should mean 24-hour attendance
There is an important difference between a 24-hour telephone line and a genuine 24-hour emergency service.
If you have sewage backing up into a property at 10pm, being offered an appointment the following morning may not be much help.
A genuine emergency service needs the capability to mobilise people and equipment outside normal working hours, including during the night, at weekends and on public holidays.
Drain & Sewer Services operates its emergency service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, covering problems including:
- blocked drains, foul drains, storm drains and gullies
- blocked toilets, sinks, baths and other internal drainage
- septic tanks, cesspits, pump stations and sewage treatment plants
- flooding emergencies
- burst water mains
The appropriate response will depend on the nature and urgency of the problem.
The engineer should arrive prepared to solve the problem
Speed matters during a drainage emergency, but getting somebody to your property quickly achieves little if they do not have the equipment or expertise needed to deal with the problem.
An emergency drainage engineer should arrive prepared to investigate the issue and, where possible, resolve it there and then.
This is one reason we operate our emergency services using our own labour, vehicles, plant and specialist machinery. Depending on the problem, our equipment includes lorry-mounted suction and high-pressure jetting units, as well as specialist CCTV and testing equipment.
Having direct access to the right equipment helps us respond to anything from a blocked domestic drain to a much larger commercial sewer problem.
You should be kept informed
Drainage emergencies can be stressful, particularly when you cannot see what is causing the problem.
Good emergency service therefore includes communication.
Your engineer should explain what they are doing, what they have found and what is required to resolve the problem. If further investigation or repair is needed, you should understand why.
One customer recently contacted us after experiencing exactly this kind of service during a late-night call-out. They particularly appreciated that our engineer “kept me informed all the way”, despite attending at around 9 or 10pm.
That communication is just as important out of hours as it is during the working day.
Late at night should not mean a rushed job
It is understandable to wonder whether someone attending at the end of a long day will simply want to get the job finished and go home.
That should not affect the standard of an emergency service.
The objective is to deal with the immediate problem properly and safely, rather than provide the quickest temporary fix. Depending on the situation, that can mean spending time thoroughly clearing a blockage and checking that the drainage system is flowing correctly before leaving.
Our recent customer put it particularly well. Despite the late hour, the engineer “stayed with me over an hour” and remained cheerful and polite throughout the visit.
For us, being called out at night does not change the standard of work a customer should receive.
Your property should be treated with respect
Clearing a serious drainage blockage is not always a clean job. That does not mean your property should be left in a mess afterwards.
Care around the property and cleaning the working area should be part of completing the job.
The same customer commented that once the blockage had been cleared, the engineer cleaned up so thoroughly that “if it wasn’t for the fact the pipes are no longer blocked you wouldn’t have even known there was anyone here at all.”
It is a small detail compared with restoring a working toilet or stopping an overflowing drain, but it makes a significant difference to the experience of an emergency call-out.
Safety still comes first in an emergency
An urgent situation does not mean safety procedures can be bypassed.
Drainage and sewer work can involve sewage, contaminated water, underground chambers, traffic, specialist machinery and potentially confined spaces. The correct approach depends on the circumstances of the individual job.
This is particularly important where manholes, sewers or other confined spaces are involved. The Health and Safety Executive advises that confined space entry should be avoided where possible and, where it is unavoidable, the risks must be assessed and a safe system of work followed.
An experienced emergency drainage contractor should therefore assess what is required rather than simply rushing into a potentially hazardous situation.
What should you ask when calling an emergency drainage company?
If you need help urgently, a few straightforward questions can help establish what kind of service you are actually getting:
- Can you attend tonight, or is this simply an out-of-hours booking service?
- Who will be attending?
- What is the expected response time?
- Does the engineer have the equipment required to deal with the problem?
- Can the company deal with the type and scale of drainage system involved?
- What happens if the problem requires further investigation or repair?
A reputable company should be able to give you clear information rather than make promises before understanding the problem.
More than 50 years of drainage experience, available 24 hours a day
Drain & Sewer Services has been providing drainage and sewer services for more than 50 years, supporting homeowners, businesses and public sector organisations across the South of England.
Our 24-hour emergency service is supported by our own experienced people, vehicles, plant and specialist drainage equipment. That gives us control over the response from the initial telephone call through to attending the site and carrying out the work.
And whether we arrive at 10am or 10pm, you should expect the same thing: a professional response, clear communication and a job completed properly.
Need emergency drainage help?
If you have a blocked drain or toilet, sewer problem, flooding emergency, full septic system or burst water main, call Drain & Sewer Services on 01252 312738 or email info@drainandsewer.co.uk.
Our emergency service operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Frequently asked questions
What should I expect from a genuine 24-hour emergency drain and sewer service?
Knowledgeable support when you call, a clear idea of when help will arrive, and an engineer who turns up with the equipment and experience to resolve the problem there and then, not just book you in for the next working day.
Is a 24-hour drainage service a phone line or an actual attendance service?
There’s a real difference. A genuine 24-hour emergency service mobilises people and equipment outside normal working hours, including nights, weekends and bank holidays, rather than simply taking a message until the morning.
Do you cover septic tanks, pump stations and burst water mains, or just blocked drains?
Yes. Our emergency service covers blocked drains and toilets, septic tanks, cesspits, pump stations and sewage treatment plants, flooding emergencies and burst water mains.
Are safety procedures followed even during an emergency callout?
Yes. An urgent situation doesn’t change the need for a proper safety assessment, particularly where manholes, sewers or other confined spaces are involved, in line with Health and Safety Executive guidance.
What should I ask when calling an emergency drainage company?
Ask whether they can attend that night or are just taking a booking, who will be attending, the expected response time, and whether the engineer has the right equipment for your type of problem.
